Hittite Microwave Corp., a supplier of complete MMIC-based solutions for communication and military markets, has introduced two new Wideband Direct I/Q Modulators that are ideal for automotive, broadband, cellular/3G, WiMAX/4G, military and test & measurement equipment applications between 20 and 4000 MHz.

The HMC696LP4E is a low noise, high linearity Direct Quadrature Modulator RFIC that is rated from 20 MHz to 2.7 GHz. This wideband direct modulator exhibits an output noise floor of -162 dBm/Hz, output P1dB of +8 dBm, output IP3 of +23 dBm and sideband suppression of -43 dBc. The RF output port is single-ended and matched to 50 Ohms with no external components, while the LO input operates from drive levels between -6 and +6 dBm, and can be driven in either differential or single-ended mode.

The HMC697LP4E is a low noise, high linearity Direct Quadrature Modulator RFIC that is rated from 200 MHz to 4 GHz, and delivers an output noise floor of -165 dBm/Hz, output P1dB of +9 dBm, output IP3 of +22 dBm and sideband suppression of -43 dBc. The RF output port is single-ended and matched to 50 Ohms with no external components, while the LO input operates from drive levels between -6 and +6 dBm, and can be driven in either differential or single-ended mode.

The HMC696LP4E and the HMC697LP4E Direct Quadrature Modulators are housed in compact 4x4 mm SMT QFN packages, and share a common package footprint and pinout. These high linearity direct modulators can be used to create virtually any analog or digital modulation format including BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, OFDM and QAM for basestation, access point and customer premise equipment. The HMC696LP4E and the HMC697LP4E are ideal for software-defined radio and multi-band transmitters, where the upconverter must dynamically alter its modulation format and/or output frequency, depending on local operating conditions. Both RFICs require minimal external components and provide a low-cost alternative to more complicated double upconversion architectures.